by Ryan Kirk
Asa decided she would start with the outhouse of the servants. She kept the door open so she could see people going to and from the other outhouse, but with nothing else to do and a disguise to maintain, she pulled a shovel out of her cart and got to work.
If she thought the smell had been bad before, she really didn’t have any idea how wretched the odor could get. She thought for a moment her nose would start burning. She worked at a slow but steady pace, fast enough that she wouldn’t arouse suspicion, but slow enough to give her as much time as possible by the outhouses.
Unfortunately it was a warm fall day, and as the sun began its lazy descent, the outhouses warmed up and began to smell even worse. Asa finished the servant outhouse, sweat trickling down the waste on her face. She considered leaving then and there, but the idea of being shown up by Daisuke was almost too much to bear.
Asa almost took a deep breath before going into the residents’ outhouse, but she remembered her mistake and instead took a shallow breath through her mouth.
She was almost halfway done with the second privy when her moment arrived. She heard them before she saw them, but two guards were escorting a man to the outhouse. Asa had never seen Lord Juro, but the figure matched Kiyoshi’s description, and Asa couldn’t imagine anyone else would have two guards on a trip to the outhouse. It had to be him.
Both guards wore the uniform of Lord Shin, so Asa assumed neither were nightblades. That made the next part a lot easier. One of them saw Asa and gestured to his partner. They shook their heads in unison, but the second guard, who must have been the junior, had to step into the privy.
“Get out.”
Asa thought quickly. In the outhouse, they were hidden from view, but somehow she needed to get both of them inside. She glanced at Lord Juro and saw a strange expression in his eyes. There was an air of expectation there. So, Kiyoshi’s message must have gotten through. Asa bowed to the guard.
“Right away, sir.”
She turned around, and as she did, she allowed herself to slip and fall against the cart, rocking it dangerously. The cart stayed on its wheels, but for a moment she feared she would be covered in waste. She grimaced in pain, only part of it faked.
“I think I might have broken something. Can you help me up?”
The guard inside the outhouse gave her a disgusted look. “Crawl out. I’m not going to touch you.”
Asa thought fast. “Will you at least get my cart, then? I can’t pull myself and it.”
The guards looked skeptical, but Juro assisted her. He spoke to the first guard. “Oh, get in there and help her. One of you grab her, and one of you grab the cart. I need to go.”
The first guard looked like he was ready to retort, but he clearly had orders to make Juro as comfortable as possible. He swallowed his pride and bowed. “Yes, lord.”
The first guard stepped in with the second, and Asa didn’t waste a moment. She swept her leg, catching the second guard in the shin. As she rotated, she reached up and grabbed the first guard, who had stepped close and was bending down to pick her up. She pulled on his arm, and all three were on the ground in an instant.
Fortunately, Asa was the only one expecting to be there. She got up to her hands and knees and drove an elbow into the face of the second guard. His head snapped back against the solid dirt floor of the outhouse, knocking him out instantly. Without pause, Asa jumped onto the back of the first guard, wrapping her arm around his neck in a solid choke hold. Her other hand came up and covered his mouth, ensuring he couldn’t scream for help.
The guard thrashed for what felt like forever, but eventually fell motionless. Asa kept her hold for a few more moments, ensuring he wasn’t faking stillness. When she was certain, she relaxed just a little, keeping her hand over his mouth. Finally, she was convinced and stood up.
She looked straight at Juro. “Thanks. Are you ready to get out of here?”
Juro nodded, and Asa went digging into her cart. “I don’t think you’re going to like this.” She pulled out a set of clothes, completely caked in waste.
Juro shook his head. “Leave it to Kiyoshi to come up with such a ridiculous plan.”
Asa didn’t have any patience or experience dealing with lords. She wasn’t used to their pride. She whispered at him fiercely, “You have a choice to make right now. Either you put on these clothes and we get out of here, or I leave you behind. They’ll notice the guards soon and know something happened. This is your only chance, so make your decision.”
Juro looked as though he wanted to protest, but when he saw the expression on Asa’s face, he realized any argument he made would fall on deaf ears. He gave in and held out his hand for the clothes. He took only a few moments to change, but even Asa was surprised by the difference the clothes and smell made. It would take a very aware or very suspicious person to realize the person in front of her was Lord Juro.
“The plan is simple. The guards have shifted since I came in, so hopefully no one will remember that there was just one of me. We walk out through the servants’ gate. Keep your head down and don’t say anything unless you have to. I don’t want to risk having someone recognize you by your voice.”
Juro nodded his agreement.
“If things go poorly, I may fight. If that happens, I need you to run into the city as fast as you can. If I can, I’ll catch up with you. Don’t wait for me.”
The look in Juro’s eyes told her that he wouldn’t have even considered waiting. Asa ignored it.
Together, they each grabbed a handle of the cart and pulled it toward the servants’ gate. There they were stopped by the two guards, who, thankfully, were new, just as Asa had planned. The nightblade who was half of the guard pair ran a quick eye over the cart and Asa, but he didn’t find anything of interest. He looked as though he found it painful even having to be part of guard duty.
The other sentry was more dutiful, more so than the guard they had encountered on the way in. He walked around and inspected the cart, and at one point even took the shovel and turned over the waste once or twice to ensure there wasn’t anything inside. Asa tried to act naturally, or as naturally as she expected a farmer would. She kept her eyes down and refused to pay too much attention to the soldier. When he was done inspecting the cart, he took a long look at both Asa and Juro. Asa fought the impulse to hold her breath. Everything about Kiyoshi’s plan had worked so far. The gate was open, and the city of Haven looked wide and inviting. All they needed was to make it past this last step.
Asa hesitated. The guard was continuing to look at them, and she desperately wanted to look up and study his face. Was he suspicious of something? They had been stopped at the gate far longer than she had been coming in. She considered striking out but crushed the thought as soon as it came to mind. The moment she formed an intent to attack, the nightblade would be all over her. No, she needed to stay focused and keep her eyes on the ground.
It felt like the sun was ready to set when the guard finally waved them through without a question. Asa and Juro pulled on the cart, and within a few steps were clear of the walls. Rather than break out into a run and abandon the cart, they stuck to the plan. The duo rolled into Haven and stopped at a bar, where the farmer who owned the cart was waiting. Asa had offered her services for the day free of charge, and had sweetened the deal with an offer to buy a few drinks. All in all, a small price to pay for breaking a lord out of his prison.
The cart disposed of, Juro wanted to change immediately, but Asa told him he had to wait. Following a map drawn by Daisuke, she eventually found the shadow’s house. They went inside, and Asa noticed how different and empty the space felt without his family’s presence.
Asa, allowed to use her sense once again, felt that they weren’t alone. She couldn’t sense Daisuke, but that was bothering her less and less. There was another person in the house, and a few minutes later, Lord Isamu stepped into view, with Daisuke behind him.
Isamu looked and smelled just as bad as Juro, but he seemed to be taking his
condition much worse. He frowned with disdain as he looked at his fellow lord. “So, I see they got you out using the same methods.” Asa could hear the desire for murder in the lord’s voice.
Juro was in no mood for small talk. “We need to kill Shin. Now.”
Daisuke held up his hand. “I apologize, Lord Juro. I’ve already had the opportunity to speak with Lord Isamu, but the situation, as you can imagine, is quite complicated. While you are here, you can change clothes and bathe, but we must be on the move again soon. My friends and I were already being hunted by Minori before this breakout, but after it, he will redouble his efforts. Time is of the essence, and we need to get moving. We will meet all together and decide our next steps.
“The bath is that way. You’ll have to tend it yourselves so Asa and I can guard the house. There are fresh clothes there as well. They aren’t as fine as you are used to, but you’ll need to travel incognito for a while yet. Please hurry. We must leave as soon as the sun dips below the horizon.”
The two lords complied, even though it looked like they’d rather do anything else. Asa had thought Juro was irritating, but she saw he was far more compliant than Isamu.
Asa and Daisuke exchanged a look, and he spoke, the disbelief evident in his voice. “Lords.”
Despite all the indignities visited upon them in the course of their rescue, the two lords were prepared when the sun fell. Daisuke led the party out, with Asa bringing up the rear. They hadn’t encountered anyone searching for the two lords yet, but they imagined it would only be a matter of time. The streets, as they had been the past several nights, were eerily quiet.
Asa would have preferred to have more outdoor crowds within which to blend; as it was, four people walking together on empty streets was asking for trouble. If not for Daisuke’s experience in avoiding detection, it would have been a difficult journey. As it was, Daisuke often stopped them before turning corners, somehow successfully playing the most complicated game of hide-and-seek Asa had ever played. Juro and Isamu couldn’t sense the patrols moving through the city, so they couldn’t appreciate just how difficult the task was.
The moon was high in the sky by the time they reached the cemetery where Kiyoshi was hiding with Masaki. Asa watched the faces of the lords as they entered the cemetery. She wasn’t impressed. In her mind, a leader was someone who was willing to make any sacrifice to protect his people, and she didn’t see that from these two. They had been born into power and didn’t understand how to wield it well. She saw this on their faces as they entered the cemetery. Their look of revulsion told her enough. Isamu and Juro were more concerned about manners than about doing what needed to be done.
Regardless, she followed them. Kiyoshi believed they were important, and that was enough for her. They entered the shrine, and Asa almost laughed at the look of shock on their faces as the two lords saw their king.
Kiyoshi stood and bowed, and Asa was struck by how much stronger he seemed. In her free moments, she had been thinking a lot about the dayblade. There was far more to him than he was letting on. She kept replaying their escape from the palace in her mind. Kiyoshi had taken out two nightblades with an ease Asa found incredible. She wasn’t certain she could defeat two strong nightblades at all, and certainly not with his ease.
She had only seen glances of his battle, being somewhat concerned at the time with the two blades coming after her, but the way he moved had defied all expectation. The only way Asa could describe it was that he moved like a nightblade.
That was where all of her reasoning broke down. Kiyoshi was known across the Kingdom as one of the land’s greatest dayblades. It was why he had been taken into the king’s service, and there was no doubt his healing powers were incredible. Asa herself had been one of his patients, and her healing had been as perfect as anyone could expect. There was no way to be both a nightblade and a dayblade. At least, that was what Asa understood. Even though they were two separate aspects of the same sense, the training in their use was far different. Asa had been trying to remember all her lessons from when she was younger, and she was sure such a feat was impossible.
When she saw Kiyoshi rise with the smooth grace of a much younger man to greet the lords, all her questions were brought back to the front of her mind.
There were greetings all around, and Kiyoshi invited the lords to sit. They looked uncomfortable with the idea of sitting on the dirt floor, but eventually joined the blades.
Kiyoshi began. “I’m glad to see you are both safe. It seemed vital we get you out of your homes as soon as possible.”
Juro, ever the problem, replied, “Thank you for the rescue. It was unorthodox, but I suppose I can’t question its effectiveness. Now I have an order. Kill Lord Shin.”
Kiyoshi laughed, and Asa enjoyed watching the rage build on Juro’s face.
“Lord Juro, your status means little to me, especially now. We rescued you because you are a person loved by your family and a symbol who wields a great deal of power. But you cannot order me or any of the other blades here. If you believe Lord Shin must die, we can speak about that later, but right now we are here to discuss what our next steps are.”
Isamu spoke up. “I respect your words, Kiyoshi, even if they are hard to swallow. But what Shin has done is far outside the laws of the Kingdom. He has committed treason, and the punishment is death. Our duty seems clear.”
Kiyoshi nodded. “I appreciate your reasoning, and your line of thought is sound. But these are difficult times, and we owe it to ourselves to ask difficult questions. I am not taking a stand here, but I will challenge your opinion. There is no doubt Shin has broken the law, but I believe we need to ask if perhaps it isn’t for the best.”
Isamu and Juro both turned their heads at that. Juro shot back, “Of all the people here, you are closest to Masaki, and you’re willing to see his throne taken from him while he still breathes? Is your friendship worth so little?”
Asa saw the attack had bothered Kiyoshi, but the frustration passed from his face so quickly she was certain only Daisuke and she had noticed. “He is my friend. One of the closest I have. But this isn’t about my personal feelings. It has always been about what is best for the Kingdom. One of the three of you would have been the next king. Why not Shin?”
Juro’s retort was sharp. “Because he broke the law.”
“And none of you have?”
Kiyoshi let the silence hang for a moment before he continued. “I know he broke the law, and personally, I’m furious. But my concern has always been the same: What is best for the Kingdom? We all know Shin is driven and clever, and his lands have prospered under his rule. Is there a reason to rebel against his coup?”
Asa watched the two lords carefully. Kiyoshi raised a good argument, but she could see the lords weren’t swayed. Asa cursed to herself. They were far more interested in their own power and problems and couldn’t see the larger picture.
Kiyoshi leaned back and sighed. “Even though I won’t kill Lord Shin for you, I will help protect you. I fear your lives are in danger so long as you’re here, and the last thing I want to see is war. We will get you out of the city and to your families so that you may decide what is best. I hope you listen to my warnings.”
Daisuke, seeing his master needed a break, stepped in. “Getting you out of the city is going to be challenging. By now, Lord Shin and Minori will know about your escape. It would have been nearly impossible to get you out right after escaping. Now I’m not sure it’s possible at all. Shin will want to close the gates.”
Juro shook his head. “If he shuts the gates, it would expose his lie. He’ll need to leave them open.”
Kiyoshi responded, “No. He’ll come up with some sort of excuse to close the gates. I expect we’ll need to fight our way through. Do either of you have loyal troops in the area?”
Juro answered, “If there are any still around, I know where they’ll be.”
Isamu nodded, indicating the same was true of him.
“Good. We’re
going to need their help. The plan won’t be complicated, but we’re going to need bodies. Tonight, rest here. Tomorrow we’ll send each of you out with one of the nightblades, and you can recruit as many people as possible. Tomorrow night we’ll try to break out of the city for good. We’ll take the king with us.” Kiyoshi looked down at Masaki, worry in his eyes.
The lords made themselves as comfortable as they could for the night, upset but out of options. Kiyoshi, Daisuke, and Asa sat together for a while longer, planning out their next steps. Asa looked at Kiyoshi. “Are these lords even worth saving?”
Kiyoshi held his grin in check. “Probably not. But they are symbols, and like anyone else, they are important to their families. The difference is, these families will go to war if we don’t get their cherished ones safely out of the city.”
Chapter 23
Minori looked at his map of the Kingdom. It was an excellent map, one of the highest quality that existed in the land, but over the past few days, Minori had made it his own. His markings and notations covered the map, and as he looked at his writing, he realized it would be completely incomprehensible to anyone but him.
He had been trying to piece together the big picture. Ever since Shin came to power, Minori had been flooded with more information than he thought possible, and the map seemed to be the best way of understanding the dimensions of his new world. There were units, supply chains, towns, and much more all laid out in front of him. As he received new information, he updated the map, and when he was done, he took a step back and tried to imagine it all as a chessboard.
What was the Kingdom but the largest, most complicated game he had ever played? In the back of his mind, he had an itch, a belief that there were underlying principles to everything that was happening. He just couldn’t see them. Like any game, there was a pattern unfolding, but it seemed to be just outside his mental grasp. The problem was frustrating, and he kept looking at the map from different angles, trying new ideas to see if they made the information fit into a pattern.
