Nightblade Boxed Set

by Ryan Kirk

  Frustrated, Takako decided she would try to use these letters to draw out the mysterious Ryuu. She fell asleep committed to replying the very next day. She fell to her task with ardor, and the next day Takako watched as the daily messenger left carrying her letter among others.

  The second response from Ryuu came more quickly than the first, just over a half-moon from the day she sent the message. She saw in Ryuu’s letter that he promised to stop by the village as often as possible to check for messages. He hoped it would decrease the necessary delay between contact.

  Once again, though, the message didn’t reveal anything personal about Ryuu. He seemed to be an expert at deflecting any attention away from himself. He answered all of her questions about him in vague generalities and redirected the conversation back to her with his questions. Takako almost laughed at the pattern once she recognized it, but couldn’t bring herself to use the same tactics on him. She vowed to continue trying to draw him out of his shell while revealing herself naturally.

  The messages continued throughout the rest of the winter season. Another meeting was arranged for the beginning of the snow melt, and Takako realized she had something to look forward to. Many of the ladies in the house commented on her positive demeanor, and she replied kindly to them all, believing that perhaps her fortunes had changed. If Ryuu was rich, perhaps he could buy her before Akio. It didn’t seem likely, but perhaps it was possible.

  The snow couldn’t melt fast enough for Takako’s liking, and at times Madame would remind Takako the snow melt also signaled the beginning of spring, when Nori would bring his son to the house to buy her. Takako determined not to let the news bother her and fought to remain positive and look forward to Ryuu’s visit.

  Finally, a letter came from Shigeru, which Madame let Takako read. It stated the two of them were to come four days hence and their hospitality would be much appreciated for the night. Takako continued to read the letter beyond the pertinent information, realizing Madame was charging an exorbitant fee for a night of conversation for Ryuu and a night for Shigeru. Takako didn’t realize Madame’s income was quite so high. It forced a new perspective on her.

  The wait was interminable. The four days seemed to pass one extended breath at a time. Chores were difficult to focus on and complete, and Madame frequently scolded her for her poor manners and behavior around the house. Takako found she couldn’t help it. The thought of being with Ryuu again, even if it was just to have a conversation, was so pleasing that daily tasks seemed monotonous and difficult.

  The day of Ryuu’s arrival was a bright and sunny spring day. The snows had yet to melt, which meant Takako had at least a moon or two of freedom left. She enjoyed being outside, the warmth of the sun not eliminating the cold but still melting snow. Despite the brief respite and the beautiful weather, Takako was anything but cheerful. She rarely blamed Madame for her problems, but she did today. Takako’s list of assigned chores was almost unbearable. She suspected Madame was assigning her so many chores on purpose, to remind her why she was here.

  Takako wanted none of it. Her plan for the day had been to spend all day making herself look nice for Ryuu. Not seductive, just nice. She found herself wanting to impress him even if he was younger than her. He was hope, but Madame saw him as a distraction from her chores. Takako did sloppy work that morning, being ordered by Madame to try and try again until her areas were spotless.

  Madame, realizing that there was no fighting the emotions of the young, relented and released her from her daily duties with a threat tomorrow would be worse. Takako was so overjoyed she almost hugged Madame before remembering herself and scampering back to her room. Time seemed to snap forward. Every moment which had gone by at a snail’s pace now seemed to fly by and Takako found herself pressed for time. The letter hadn’t specified what time they would arrive, but Takako guessed they would show up when the sun was high.

  Her instincts proved to be right. Shigeru and Ryuu arrived at mid-day looking much fresher on this journey than last time. She greeted Ryuu warmly, and although he returned her greeting in kind, Takako thought there was a new hardness in him that hadn’t existed before, a new mask on top of the others. It fueled Takako’s curiosity. She needed to know who this young man was.

  All of those thoughts faded as they began to converse. It was like the last time. As they talked she faded into blissful contentment. She forgot that in the whole story of her life Ryuu would just be a small positive part of it. She would still be given to Akio for an end that was unimaginable. She forgot it all and enjoyed these moments. She relaxed and focused on the present, all of her worries drifting away to the soft cadence of Ryuu’s voice.

  He still avoided any direct conversation about himself. As their meeting drew to a close, Takako was alternately frustrated and amazed. All the other women spoke of the men they were with. Takako got the impression men were capable of doing little but speaking about themselves.

  Ryuu was different. Ryuu was focused on her, and Takako swam in the peace he provided. He didn’t get angry at her, no matter what she said to tease him or provoke him. He too was lost in the present and enjoying the time together. They talked about the weather, about Takako’s impending doom and what life was like for her. Ryuu seemed to be fascinated by her life and said as much. His interest was both refreshing and disturbing. It was nice to feel like she had a life story worth telling, but if her story was interesting to someone who was the son of a lord, what did that say about Ryuu? Was he defective?

  The time seemed to pass in a heartbeat and Takako soon noticed it was late afternoon. She hadn’t even noticed the time passing. She smiled at the thought and it caused Ryuu to stop speaking. She turned to him. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t reacting to something you said, I got lost in my own thoughts.”

  “I think you are beautiful when you smile. You don’t do it often. Not for real.”

  Takako burst out in a huge smile. “I know you find me beautiful, but I appreciate you saying it, it’s very kind of you.”

  Ryuu smiled then too, and Takako believed for the first time she was seeing Ryuu actually smile, not a grin that came from the mask and mind, but from the heart. She felt a warmth in her stomach she’d never experienced before, and the moment hung suspended for one fragile instant.

  The moment was cut short. Ryuu became very serious, his hand going down to his sword. In that moment Takako felt something else slip away, another layer of protection Ryuu maintained throughout their time together. She had pictured him as a young man of affluence who carried a sword as a status symbol. In that instant she knew Ryuu knew how to use his sword very well. She accepted the intuition without question, not being able to process it in time.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “There’s a group of armed men approaching the house.”

  Takako frowned. There was no way to know that. They were in private chambers well protected from the outside. When one became accustomed to the house they could tell when somebody entered, but Ryuu had said “approaching,” not “in.”

  The door to the house opened and Takako caught a hint of argument between Madame’s guards and a group of men. She looked at Ryuu with a sudden fear. There was no way he could have known! Who was he? Takako realized again she had pinned her hopes on a man she knew nothing meaningful about. His deception seemed much more sinister now.

  Takako looked at Ryuu, trying to find answers written somewhere on his face. But there was nothing to be found. His face was emotionless and calm. He was thinking fast, trying to decide what to do, even though he hadn’t moved a muscle. Almost as soon as the moment came it passed, and Ryuu relaxed his grip on his sword and became the same Ryuu she had known throughout their brief encounters. He apologized and asked for more tea. Takako doubted her sanity. It was as if two young men were trading places in front of her. As she poured the tea she could hear the footsteps of the group come closer to her door. She started to panic. It shouldn’t have been possible. It was too soon.

  Her d
oor opened and all her fears were realized at once. The man who opened it was young, a couple of cycles older than her. He could have been handsome if not for the look of anger upon his face. Takako had seen a lot of men pass through the doors of Madame’s house over the cycles in a lot of different ways, but she had never seen a man whose face could be twisted in so much rage.

  He took one glance around the room and pointed at her. “Grab the whore and make sure she is placed somewhere that she can’t throw herself at another man.”

  Four men followed his command, and Takako felt herself picked up by each limb. She thrashed about in terror, screaming for Madame to do something until part of her clothing was jammed roughly into her mouth. She tried to bite the hand holding it in, but there was too much cloth in the way and she couldn’t even begin to close her jaw.

  Takako tried to turn around to look at Ryuu, managing to grab the edges of the doorway, fighting to see what transpired between the two men. She could only assume the angry man was Nori’s son, Akio. Her fears were confirmed when Madame reached the scene with all of her guards of the house behind her.

  “Akio! What are you doing here? This is a place of business! Let down Takako now and take that damned gag out of her mouth.”

  Akio looked around and examined the situation. He motioned to the guards, who dropped Takako none too gently to the ground. She pulled the gag out of her mouth and started to cry silently, not wanting to risk Madame’s displeasure which was now squarely focused on Akio.

  “The girl is yours, what do you mean by coming in here and trying to take her by force?”

  Akio wasn’t bothered in the least by Madame. “I should be asking you the same thing. I came here, hoping to surprise my consort with some new gifts I had picked up in town. I desired to properly introduce myself to her before we are to leave in a couple of days’ time. But when I get here, your guards tell me Takako has another appointment, and she can’t see me right now. The agreement my father made with you demanded she be untouched. I come in, just once, and I find her with this dog,” he said, jabbing his finger at Ryuu.

  “The girl is still untouched, boy, so don’t go making accusations of me. You can feel free to check, but I will vouch for her. She is teaching the tea ceremony to this young man while his father enjoys the pleasures of this house. Do not assume a conspiracy where there is none.”

  Madame’s response only seemed to flame the fans of Akio’s rage further. “Tea ceremony! You must think me foolish to believe that. I should have both this whore and dog killed.” Akio drew his sword, starting a chain reaction of swords being drawn. The building echoed with the ring of steel being loosed.

  Madame motioned for her guards to bring their swords down. “There is no need for violence here, Akio. The girl is yours as promised. Any killings here would bring dishonor to both you and your father. No harm has been done and you will know she is untouched yourself in due time. It would not be wise to take this any further.”

  Takako watched everything with rapt attention, a captive audience of one. Madame stood tall, calm in the face of danger, her guard behind her ready to defend and attack at a moment’s notice. Akio and Madame had about an equal number of retainers present, so it would be a close fight. Akio was still angry, but Takako could see Madame’s words had gotten to him. He was scared of his father. The realization came like a lightning bolt on a clear day, but Takako recognized the truth of it immediately. And in her room sat Ryuu, still surrounded in mystery. Was he a warrior or a child? Takako couldn’t decide, even knowing him better than anybody else in the situation. He didn’t seem worried, but Takako guessed she looked fairly normal too, frozen in complete fear as she was.

  Takako was only thrown into more confusion as Akio made his decision. He sheathed his sword and walked over to Ryuu. “You must be a rich kid to be carrying that sword like it’s something you know how to use.” He picked Ryuu up with one arm, and Takako saw firsthand just how strong Nori’s son was. Ryuu dangled there, feet scraping the ground. But Ryuu didn’t struggle. Akio continued insulting him. “Come on, if you can use that sword, now is a good time. Otherwise I’m going to bring more pain down on you than you’ve ever experienced before. I might even cut off one of your hands. That will teach you to touch other people’s women.”

  Ryuu looked at Akio calmly. Takako saw there was no fear in his eyes, but he took no steps to save himself. Who was he? Why wasn’t he scared? Akio laughed and headbutted Ryuu. Takako swore she saw Ryuu move enough to deflect the blow, but she couldn’t be sure, everything happened so fast. Akio started raining blows down on Ryuu as Ryuu protected his face and groin. Akio punched and kicked him over and over, and Takako saw the blood starting to splatter over her private space. Takako screamed for Akio to stop, but that just caused him to kick Ryuu with renewed vigor.

  Madame held her guards back with one hand and Takako begged her and pleaded with her to make it stop, but she took no action. With one final, incredible kick that lifted Ryuu’s smaller body off the ground, Akio reached a point of exhaustion. He turned around and looked at Takako. “This is the least that will happen to any man I see you with even if you are just teaching him the tea ceremony. Are we clear?”

  It was all Takako could do to nod her head. As Akio motioned his guards to take her with them, she managed to steal one last glance at Ryuu. His face looked unharmed, and he was looking at her with the same mask he always wore. Takako would have sworn he was fine, and as she was pulled out of sight, she thought just for the briefest of moments she saw him smile. Even as she was being thrown in a cart she couldn’t help but wonder, who was Ryuu?

  12

  Moriko awoke confused. She was dead. But dead should be . . . different. She was awake, and awake wasn’t right. Her mind was a blank slate for a couple of breaths before memory exploded through her. She remembered the combat with the Abbot, being whipped against the monastery wall. But what she couldn’t forget was the sword through her abdomen. She could still see the drip of blood from the tip of the blade.

  The pain came blasting through on the heels of her memory. She was lying on her stomach with her head being supported by a rather clever arrangement of pillows and blankets. Without even moving she could feel the tenderness of her back. She tried making just the slightest movement and the pain that shot throughout her back dimmed her peripheral vision. She bit herself trying not to scream. Every welt seemed to be connected to the next one, and movement of one seemed to light them all up. If the Abbot had done it on purpose there was no way he could have done a better job of it.

  Moriko was worried about the cut from the sword but she couldn’t bring herself to try to find it. If she was alive now, she would be alive when it was fine to move her arm and find out. There was no rush, not right now.

  She heard a soft movement. As her head continued to clear her sense returned to her. She was in the monastery which wasn’t surprising, and seemed to be in her own bed. She heard Tomotsu’s voice and it sounded like the sweetest music she had ever heard. Even through everything he had watched over her. Perhaps there was some good in the world. “How are you feeling?”

  Moriko gently moved her jaw and determined it would be okay to speak, “Horrible.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me.” There wasn’t much sympathy in Tomotsu’s voice and her heart sank. “I’m surprised the Abbot let you live. I thought he meant to kill you.”

  “I am too. I saw the sword. Why am I not dead?”

  “The Abbot is one of the best warriors in the region, something you should have known before pulling your stunt. He was able to place the blade in a safe place, not cutting any organs. It was an incredible strike.”

  The tent of hope she had raised collapsed to the ground. Her only hope of sympathy and support was instead complimenting the Abbot on his incredible swordsmanship against a bound girl. Tomotsu didn’t care. He had been assigned to take care of her. She was alone. Moriko swore to herself and wished for death, or at least the quiet of the forest. She
decided in that moment she was done with people for good.

  If Tomotsu didn’t sense that, he at least understood she didn’t want to talk to him. He stepped away from her bed. “I will let you get some rest. The Abbot will want to see you when you are stronger.”

  Moriko cried, the pillows bunched around her face drinking her tears. There was nothing left for her in this life.

  Moriko’s recovery was agonizing and slow. Although her body did its best to try to stitch together all the cuts, every small movement she made ripped open a new scab. It was almost a full moon before Moriko was able to sit up in bed and try walking around without pain. It was a small achievement, but being able to move again was an incredible relief to Moriko. She was more scared of paralysis and losing her ability to move than she was of death.

  Tomotsu made it clear she wasn’t to leave her quarters. He told her the Abbot wanted her healed before she would be allowed to wander the monastery grounds again. Moriko accepted the orders without comment. She was too weak to do anything useful anyway, so the order was to her liking.

  Moriko spent many of her waking hours thinking of trees. She imagined them whispering in the breeze, the shade and the sun making exquisite patterns on her skin. There was something so natural, so primal about the woods. Life made a lot more sense there than in a monastery cut off from all nature except the sky.

  At least she had plenty of time to think about what had happened. The offenses she had committed were punishable by death by their monastic code. While not a required punishment, common belief held an offense of her magnitude was almost always met with execution. Moriko struggled to figure out why she hadn’t been killed. Her mind could only come up with two unpleasant possibilities: either she was being healed just to be tortured again, or the Abbot felt like she could be rehabilitated.