by Ryan Kirk
A rock flew from somewhere in the crowd, and Kiyoshi assumed it came from Daisuke. The stone struck the guard in his chest, and he drew his sword and leapt down into the crowd. Asa, right on cue, shouted, “Let me out!”
Kiyoshi couldn’t see what happened next, but he could picture it. The guards had formed two ranks in front of the gate, and Asa and Daisuke were supposed to charge. Kiyoshi assumed that the guards would want to do their jobs and carry out their orders, but that they would also hesitate to strike at unarmed civilians. If the two blades could poke a hole in the wall of swords, he expected the units to collapse.
Kiyoshi led the two lords right into the thick of the crowd, pushing and shoving his way to the front. He could hear the commotion and the screams and assumed that his two nightblades were in the thick of it. He had asked them both not to draw their swords. Between their skills and the element of surprise, there shouldn’t be any need. The crowd just needed leaders.
Kiyoshi couldn’t see whether they were successful and he didn’t dare use his sense in such a confined, crowded space, but he could feel the crowd surge forward and he knew their plan was working. A hole must have opened, and everyone was trying to get through it at once. Kiyoshi allowed himself to be pushed around, following the natural currents of humanity as they swarmed the gate.
Without warning, Asa was next to him. He glanced at her and saw she had suffered a small cut on her left arm, but otherwise she looked unharmed. There was no time to speak. Together, they went where the crowd flowed.
A group of three soldiers appeared as if by magic in front of their small band of escapees. Asa took care of the obstacle in her typical straightforward manner. She walked right into one before he realized what was happening, her knee driving up into his groin. The second guard saw what happened to the first, and scared, swiped at her. Kiyoshi meant to shout at her, but she must have sensed the strike. She shifted her weight and let the blade pass harmlessly to her side. She tried to step in toward the guard, but was pushed sideways by a sudden shift in the mass of people.
The final guard saw Kiyoshi and put his hand out to stop him. Kiyoshi’s instincts kicked into action, and he grabbed the man’s wrist. The dayblade tried to send a wave of energy through the guard, but was distracted by the crowd pushing against him. The guard, regaining his wits, jerked his hand away. Kiyoshi saw a look of recognition flash through the guard’s face.
To his side, Asa reappeared, driving the second guard down to the ground. Her knee landed on his chest, crushing the breath out of him. Kiyoshi didn’t have time to congratulate her as the final guard drew his sword. Kiyoshi opened up his sense and felt the strike coming, his body effortlessly avoiding the stab. He drove his fist into the guard’s neck, dropping him as well.
Kiyoshi avoided Asa’s stare and kept leading the two lords. It took a few moments, but they passed underneath the gate. As soon as they did, the crowd dispersed, everyone trying to get away from the walls of the city as quickly as possible. Kiyoshi waved at Asa and the lords, and together they struck out from Haven.
They hadn’t been traveling long when they were joined by Daisuke. Kiyoshi had asked his old friend to stay behind and observe what happened after the escape. His report wasn’t promising.
“The confusion didn’t last for long. The nightblade who was there had the presence of mind to order the gate closed. I was one of the last to make it through. Unfortunately, I did see some civilians on the ground. It looked like, in their fear, some of the guards overreacted.”
Kiyoshi felt a pang of sorrow, but he pushed the emotion aside. If they didn’t succeed, there were going to be far more than just a few dead. He set his face in a grim mask and led his comrades forward, trying desperately to stop a war that was looking more and more inevitable.
Chapter 25
Asa was impressed by the quiet opulence of the inn they had found. She had enough experience with Kiyoshi by now to know that nothing he did was by chance. This had been his destination all along. From the outside, the inn was an unmarked building in a small village just outside of Haven. There was absolutely nothing remarkable about the structure. Even if one were to step inside, they would only find a common room not unlike any other in the Kingdom.
But there was more to this inn than could be easily observed. There had been two men loitering by the door, and while a casual glance would have passed over them, Asa could tell from their balance and the way their eyes moved constantly that they were warriors. Even more surprising, one of them, according to Asa’s sense, was a nightblade.
Kiyoshi had caught her suspicious glance, but his response did little to answer her questions. “The owner here is a friend of mine. He assists in many types of trade throughout the Kingdom.”
Asa assumed the trade was both legal and illegal. There weren’t many other guests, but the ones who were present were far more vigilant than common citizens. At first, Asa had wondered if this was a place for blades to gather, but she didn’t sense anyone else besides the man outside.
Kiyoshi’s knowledge of the establishment further complicated Asa’s idea of the dayblade. It was easy to fall into the trap of thinking he was an innocent old man, a do-gooder with his head in the clouds. But there was too much evidence against that idea. From this place, it was clear Kiyoshi was involved at least in some way with underground markets, and Asa had replayed their escape through the gate in her mind time and time again.
She had watched the way Kiyoshi dealt with the guard. She had been fighting her own battle and there was a real possibility her mind was playing tricks on her, but she would swear she thought she saw Kiyoshi moving to dodge an attack before it happened. Either the man was an incredibly gifted warrior, or he could use the sense in combat, making him a nightblade.
It came down to the same two possibilities. Either she was paranoid, seeing events that weren’t there, or Kiyoshi was somehow both nightblade and dayblade. She couldn’t decide which option seemed more implausible.
Asa sighed. She hadn’t seen any money change hands, but the room she had been given was the nicest she had ever been in. The accommodations resonated peace, the tatami mats spotless. Even though the chaos of Haven was only a short ride behind, she felt as though she was a full moon away from any problems. Asa closed her eyes and was quickly asleep.
When Asa awoke, there was someone outside her door. She reached for her blades, only to sense Kiyoshi’s energy. He spoke softly, his voice barely carrying through Asa’s door.
“I’m sorry to wake you. I was hoping you would join us to discuss our next actions.”
Asa sat up, surprised she had fallen asleep so easily. She glanced outside and saw the sun hadn’t traveled far. She was grateful she hadn’t slept too long.
“I’ll be there in a few moments.”
She sensed Kiyoshi’s bow, and he walked away from her room, back toward the common area.
Asa was the last to arrive. When she entered the common room, she saw Daisuke, Kiyoshi, and the two lords sitting around a table. Each had a drink, and before Asa joined them, she picked one up at the bar. She assumed Kiyoshi had arranged payment.
She sat down at the last space at the table. Kiyoshi gave her a short nod and began giving his news.
“Now that we are out of the city, I’ve learned much, and it’s concerning.”
Asa didn’t really wonder about Kiyoshi’s information network. She had known for a while that he was well connected, and she assumed one of the reasons he had chosen this particular location was because it was where information would have been left for him.
Kiyoshi continued. “First, there are several big events happening at the same time. Word has been sent out to every corner of the Kingdom: Masaki is dead, and Shin is the new king. The proclamation hasn’t been accepted by the other two houses. Lord Juro, one of your armies, stationed at the border, crossed almost as soon as they heard the news. They are heading straight to Haven, and best estimates put them about three days away.
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�Lord Isamu, it seems as though your armies have become completely disorganized. Each seems to be operating under a different set of orders. Most important, though, is that you also have an army coming up from the Three Sisters toward Haven. They are expected within five days.
“Unfortunately, Shin is also moving in reinforcements toward Haven. They will be here in four days.”
Asa stifled the urge to laugh. If there was one place a person didn’t want to be six days from now, it would be in Haven. They had three days of relative peace, but then everything was going to happen very fast.
The lords both looked like they had a number of questions, but Kiyoshi held up his hand to stop them before they began. “I know you’ll have several questions about troops and family members, and I will answer as many of those questions as I can in a while. So far, there haven’t been any major conflicts between armies. Lord Isamu, your army let Shin’s pass because of orders issued from the palace. Lord Juro, your army apparently has developed a bridge crossing system we didn’t know about, so they managed to avoid Lord Isamu’s patrols without a problem. So far, we haven’t fallen to war. My only concern is to make sure we never do. We have little time. In five days there are going to be more than ten thousand troops surrounding the same city. We need to have a solution by then.”
Juro looked around the table and settled his stare on Kiyoshi. “What do you expect of us? You’ve gotten us this far, and knowing you, you’ve got a plan, don’t you?”
Kiyoshi didn’t retreat from the lord’s stare. “You’re asking if my goals contradict yours?”
Juro nodded.
“Perhaps. My concern is the Kingdom. I don’t care about petty power struggles. Frankly, I don’t much care which of you becomes king as long as the Kingdom remains at peace.”
Juro scoffed. “Do you really believe that after everything that has happened, there is any hope of that?”
Kiyoshi didn’t hesitate at all. “There is always a way to find peace. It only takes men with enough courage to pursue it.”
Juro said, “Shin needs to pay for his treason. No man should ascend to the throne in the manner he did. If the king can’t abide by the laws, the very idea our Kingdom is founded on is worthless.”
Kiyoshi sighed. “That might be true. But what I am concerned about is the next few days. I want to avoid all-out war.”
Isamu interrupted the two men. “Kiyoshi, I agree with Lord Juro. But like you, I wish to avoid bloodshed. If you can get me to my army, I can ensure that engagement is the last action they take.”
Asa studied the large lord. His voice was convincing, but his manners were not. She didn’t care for either of the lords, but Isamu the least. It was hard to believe anything he said, although Kiyoshi seemed to accept his statements without question.
“Thank you. That was my intention. I didn’t think I would be able to convince anyone to come to my point of view today, but I expect to get your respective promises that you won’t immediately resort to force. There are still thousands of innocent people in Haven, and they don’t have any part in your struggles. We will get you back to your families.”
Lord Juro looked skeptical. “And then what?”
Kiyoshi looked uncertain. “After that, there are many options. Lord Juro, if your men can get here even earlier, we might earn a slight advantage. The timing of your troops’ arrival and Shin’s might make all the difference. Perhaps I can lead an excursion into the city to bring Lord Shin out. We can sit you all down at a table and keep you there until you come to an agreement.”
“You think you can do that, even with the nightblade support Shin has?”
Daisuke stepped into the conversation. “Despite anything you may have heard, Lord Shin does not have the support of the blades. Minori may have convinced a handful within the city to support Shin, but they won’t be a problem.”
Isamu’s look conveyed a healthy dose of skepticism. “Forgive me, but even one or two nightblades pose a substantial problem.”
Daisuke spoke, his voice flat. “Hunting nightblades is my specialty.”
The lords looked to Kiyoshi for confirmation, and he agreed. “Daisuke is the most dangerous opponent any nightblade could face. Although I would wish for any other option, if that is what it comes to, Daisuke will be more than sufficient.”
It was a measure of the trust and respect that the lords had for Kiyoshi that they didn’t make any comment.
Kiyoshi took one last look around the table. “Asa, you will escort Lord Juro in all haste. Daisuke will do the same for Lord Isamu. Once you deliver them safely to their armies, I’d ask that you return here as quickly as you are able.”
Asa nodded and went to grab her things. She had almost reached her room when she realized she hadn’t thought about Osamu in almost two whole days. She paused on the stairs, letting that idea sink in.
She turned around on the stairs, considering going back down to tell Kiyoshi she had more important matters to pursue. But she didn’t. For the first time, she believed in something beyond revenge. Asa turned back up the steps and continued to her room to pack her bags. She would come back for Minori, but she would take care of Juro first.
It didn’t take long for Asa to prepare herself. Lord Juro was a very different story. Lord Isamu and Daisuke had already been gone for half the day, but Juro insisted on sitting with Kiyoshi and picking his brain for every bit of information he could get. Asa used the time to sharpen her blades back in her room.
The sun was setting when she felt Kiyoshi outside her door. “Come in,” she said.
Kiyoshi let himself in, studying her with the same gaze he always seemed to have. “Lord Juro will be ready shortly. There was much he wished to learn. Thank you for your patience, and thank you for escorting him.”
Asa nodded. “I don’t much care about the lords, but if their safety means other families don’t have to go through what mine did, I’m more than willing to lend whatever strength I have. Just get me back into the city so I can kill Minori.”
Kiyoshi gave her a glance she didn’t understand, but he nodded. “I don’t think you’ll run into any problems, but there is never any telling. Were I in Shin’s place, I would consider Isamu to be the greater threat. We are in his family’s land, and the surrounding area has more allegiance to him than to any of the others. But his armies are farther away. Juro is certainly also a problem for Shin, however, so I will be curious to see what actions he takes. Be alert at all times.”
Asa bowed to Kiyoshi and was surprised when he matched her bow with one of equal depth.
Outside, Kiyoshi watched as she and Juro mounted fresh horses. His last words to her were a simple, “Be safe.”
After that, they were off, and Asa didn’t look back.
Her first surprise of the trip was that Juro became pleasant company once it was just the two of them. There were still times when he acted too much like a lord for her tastes, but as she soon learned, Juro had been a soldier in his armies before he had come of age to lead his family. He rode well, much better than Asa, actually, and the hardships of the road didn’t seem to bother him. It was almost as if the more time he spent away from the palace, the more he returned to his personality as a soldier, and the more Asa began to like him.
As they rode, Juro asked her many questions. He was curious about her life as a blade and specifically asked about her training and how she ended up in her current situation. Asa wasn’t naïve enough to believe the questioning was all honest interest. She could tell he was trying to understand exactly how the Council of the Blades operated. Regardless, Asa didn’t see any reason to lie, and she welcomed the conversation.
Asa returned his interest by asking about the life of a lord, not a subject she had ever considered. But Juro, despite her suspicion, made her curious. As he spoke about his day-to-day life, Asa realized she would much rather be a nightblade than a lord. Politics and paperwork were two tasks she was happy leaving to others.
The moon was high in the sky, b
ut the two riders didn’t stop. Both Asa and Juro wanted to reach his army in as little time as possible. A steady pace was best. With any luck, they would come across his troops by the end of the next day.
When Asa saw the silhouette off in the distance, her heart immediately sank. A lone individual appeared, not a scouting party from an army. Although such a coincidence seemed unlikely, Asa felt like there was only one person it could be. Juro spotted the rider as well, and their conversation evaporated.
Juro glanced at her. “Nightblade?”
“I can’t sense him from here, but I’m almost certain.”
The two paused their mounts, each trying to decide what to do. Their horses weren’t exhausted, but they weren’t fresh, either. If it came to a chase, they would probably be overtaken.
Asa looked at Juro. “I can try to intercept him. You can make a run for it.”
“Can you beat him?”
“As nightblades go, my skills are just above average. If that is who I believe it is, my odds of winning are slim.”
Juro looked thoughtful for a moment. “If you can’t buy me enough time to escape his pursuit, there’s no point in me running. I’ll stay and fight with you.”
Asa glanced over. The surprise must have been evident on her face.
“You may not respect lords, but perhaps I can change your mind. We aren’t as useless as you believe. I am a decent sword.”
Asa bowed.
“Whatever happens, Lord Juro, you’ve made me think there’s more to lords than I ever gave them credit for.”
“That, at least, is something.”
They kicked their horses forward, and Asa extended her sense as far as she was able, to make sure there weren’t any lurking traps. The closer they got to the lone rider, the more certain she was that her gut was correct. Before they were close enough for her to see the rider’s face clearly, she could sense him, and her heart finished its plummet to the bottom of her stomach.
