Nightblade Boxed Set

by Ryan Kirk

  “Life is always full of limitless possibilities. You cannot prepare for them all. See what is in front of you and make the best decisions you can. It is all we can do.”

  Akira had lived by his father’s advice, never more so than today. He had made his decision. It would be unpopular with his generals, but it felt right. He didn’t have even a bit of the sense in him, but he did have a premonition that the world would never be the same. It wasn’t just the invasion of his kingdom. It was deeper and more menacing, and it was all tied together with the nightblades. They were elemental forces of change. They were so powerful that they changed the world just by passing through it.

  Akira didn’t need the sense to hear Toro climbing the steps up the tower. In the stillness of the early morning, sounds carried forever. He had asked the general to join him up here. Toro reached his side, gave a little bow, and looked out upon the plains with Akira.

  He waited patiently. Akira was grateful. Toro was the longest-serving general alive in all the Three Kingdoms. He had been general of the Second for many cycles, until the death of Nori. Akira had promoted him to general of the First and hadn’t regretted the decision for even a moment. Toro had no desire for power, but had always been a stalwart defender of the Southern Kingdom. Akira and Toro understood their relationship. Not quite lord and general, but not quite friends.

  Akira broke the silence. “My father fought for a lifetime to see this exact sight.”

  “And yet you don’t trust it.”

  “I don’t. I don’t think it’s a trap, but something is brewing to the south.”

  Toro didn’t respond. He continued watching thoughtfully to the south.

  Akira let out a sigh. The sun wasn’t even fully over the horizon and he was exhausted.

  Toro spoke. “He’d be proud of you, you know. You’ve led this kingdom well.”

  “Thank you.” Akira straightened his back, catching the corner of Toro’s mouth turn up at the movement. He often wondered what was going on in the old man’s head. Toro had served under Akira’s father. They’d been friends, and in some ways, Toro saw himself as Akira’s guide in life since Lord Azuma had been killed in this very pass.

  “I would like you to keep the First here.”

  To his credit, Toro didn’t hesitate. “Very well. My orders?”

  “Defend the pass, on this side. Prepare for a siege lasting multiple cycles. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get supplies back to you. You may need to be on your own for a while, even if we take care of the invasion.”

  Akira watched Toro carefully. He saw the slight slump in the older man’s shoulders, but he was a man willing to sacrifice everything. With a deep breath he straightened back up. “Very well.”

  Akira couldn’t imagine what Toro was thinking. Toro was a proud man, proud of his realm. He would want to fight against the invasion in front of him. Not the invasion that hadn’t materialized.

  “Toro.”

  He looked up at Akira. “Yes, my lord.”

  “Something is coming. I don’t know what it is. Tanak we can handle. He’s an enemy we know, an enemy we’ve studied for cycles. But there is something down there we’re not ready for. Toro, I need you to use your best discretion here. When the hammer falls, I know I can trust your judgment. Do whatever you think is best or necessary to protect the realm, at all costs.”

  Akira let the weight of that slip onto Toro’s shoulders. He needed Toro to understand he felt the true threat was here, not the invasion to the north. He wasn’t being left behind, he was the point of the second front. Hell, he was the entire spear. If Akira’s intuition was correct, the First wouldn’t be enough to hold the pass, but it had to be. Akira hadn’t lied to Toro. Toro was the only general he could trust to make the right decisions if bad became worse.

  Toro simply nodded. “I understand.”

  Akira grinned. That at least, was taken care of. “Good, now we just need to go convince everyone else.”

  The tent was in an uproar, just as Akira had predicted. He sat silently in the middle of it as curses and arguments were thrown around him. He trusted his generals, and they had developed a camaraderie that gave his command a powerful weight when he exercised it. But it also meant he had to endure the verbal disagreements. He wondered idly if it was too late to rule by fear. He imagined Tanak didn’t have to listen to these types of arguments.

  Nevertheless, he kept his head and tried to follow the points his commanders were making. Each of them was a brilliant strategist, and their opinions were valuable, even if they were being shouted as if they were arrows hurled at the hearts of their opponents.

  Even when Akira rose his hand the commotion continued. They didn’t notice him until he stood. That quieted the room.

  “You each have one point to make, then the decision is final.”

  Mashiro spoke first. He was always the quickest. “Sir, this is a terrible mistake. We should bring everyone in to destroy Tanak. He’s left himself more vulnerable than ever before. There’s no threat here. Commit the First and we can take the Western Kingdom.” He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but he caught Akira’s warning glance and sat down.

  Makoto spoke next. “I also think we should commit the First. They are our best troops, and our kingdom deserves their service at its defense. Leave the Third here, if you must, but the First will be vital.”

  Toro spoke last. “I do not know if I follow your logic. I admit I would want to bring my best troops in to defend my kingdom. But I trust your judgment, my lord.”

  Akira nodded. He would miss Toro dearly during the campaign. Toro acted as a role model to the younger generals, showing them the proper way to disagree with a lord. He would miss him, but it also reaffirmed his decision. The Three Sisters was vital to the continued defense of the land. He trusted Toro more than he could anyone else.

  “I understand all your concerns. I know there will be a lot of complaints and questions about the First remaining here. But the fact of the matter is that I still believe the defense of the Three Sisters is vital to the survival of our land, and if we can’t station several armies, at the least we can station our best army. It will make our job to the north more challenging, but I wouldn’t make this decision if I didn’t think we could do it.”

  That was the part he was less certain about. He had looked at the battle plans and there was no doubt in his mind they faced a tremendous challenge. The Western and Southern Kingdoms were almost evenly matched in terms of strength, but Akira’s troops had the advantage of defending their homeland. However, Tanak was moving fast, which would make it almost impossible to fight him on ideal terms. Akira could see the war going different ways, and not all of them led to victory. He wanted the invasion crushed by fall. Any later and Akira worried about Sen’s actions. Sen was not an impulsive man, but if the other two kingdoms were over-committed, he might make a move.

  Akira’s orders were final. His generals didn’t have to agree with him in the command tent, but as soon as they stepped outside, they would be his greatest supporters. Orders were arranged, and Akira shared one last bow with each of his generals. It would probably be the last time they would all be together for quite some time, possibly forever.

  Akira pushed the thought out of his mind. He needed to be the confident lord, now more than ever. Even internally he couldn’t allow himself to doubt the success of their endeavor.

  Akira climbed the watchtower and looked out to the south one last time. There wasn’t the slightest sign the scouts, or anyone, was returning from that direction. It was as quiet as the grave. He turned to the north to watch his armies begin their trip back through the Three Sisters. He imagined he could feel the earth trembling under the power of his armies as they moved to defend their homeland against invasion.

  The Southern Kingdom marched to war.

  6

  Ryuu ran until he thought his heart would burst, but he wouldn’t slow down. He couldn’t slow down. The old woods flew past him
as he sprinted, putting everything he had into his legs. He’d never run so far, so fast in his life. He felt as if he was drawing energy from all the living things around him. Nothing would stop him.

  He burst into the clearing surrounding the hut. He threw out his sense, desperate for Moriko’s presence, but he couldn’t focus his mind and couldn’t sense a thing. He burst into the hut and drew his sword, drawing a surprised eyebrow from Moriko. She would have sensed him coming, but she hadn’t predicted him crashing through the door with a blade drawn.

  “Yes?” Her voice held a hint of mirth.

  He didn’t answer her, instead dropping to his knees and throwing out his sense, focusing his attention and his breath. He searched far and wide around the hut, but he couldn’t find any shadows. Nothing that indicated they were in danger. The only disturbance was the wake he had caused in his own haste. Beyond his actions, the world continued to go on as it always had.

  When he had caught his breath and was certain they were safe, Ryuu turned to her. “The bodies are gone.”

  Moriko’s eyes widened, and he knew she was thinking the same thoughts he was. He watched as she took the fear and overcame it. She was strong, in some ways stronger than he could ever hope to be. She put her mind to practicalities.

  “So, what do we do next?”

  Ryuu shrugged. “I don’t know. We need to find answers.”

  Moriko asked the question they were both afraid to speak aloud. “Do you think Akira sent them after us?”

  Ryuu thought the question over. “I’ve been wondering that, too. I have a hard time believing it. It’s been over two cycles. If he wanted to kill us, he would have tried something else, something sooner. And besides . . .” He hesitated, knowing how irrational he was going to sound, “I trust him. I don’t think he would break his word.”

  Moriko studied his face. “You met him for all of a few moments.”

  “Yes, but he was a good man. A hard man, yes, but good.”

  “We could always ask him.”

  Ryuu laughed at the idea, then thought about it more seriously. “It might not be a bad idea. If he is responsible, we could confront him and finish this for good. If not, he might be interested in knowing about it. If nothing else, if he is innocent, he could point us in the right direction.”

  Moriko was skeptical. “You know I was joking, right?” She paused and sighed. “But I don’t have any better ideas, either. He’s the one connection we have to power in the Three Kingdoms, and whatever sent those men has a lot of power.”

  They stared at each other, both in disbelief. After two cycles of peace, they’d be leaving the hut, tracking the man who had once ordered them killed. Ryuu felt like he was caught in the Great Cycle, forced to actions he wanted no part of. But he didn’t see another way forward, not if they wanted to stay safe. From Moriko’s look, she was thinking the same.

  The matter was settled then. Ryuu didn’t sleep at all that night, listening and using his sense to try to discover any more shadows. But the night was like any other. The next day, as Ryuu watched over Moriko, she asked the other question on both their minds.

  “Who were they?”

  Ryuu had to shake his head. “I have no idea. And that scares me more than anything.”

  Leaving the hut brought back a slew of unpleasant memories for Ryuu. The last time he had left the hut for a long journey, he had lost his master. As he walked side by side with Moriko, he wondered if history was doomed to repeat itself. He desperately hoped it wouldn’t. He missed Shigeru and Takako every day. His grief at their partings would always be a part of him. If he lost Moriko he wasn’t sure he’d have the strength to keep going.

  It had been almost a half moon before Moriko was able to move normally again. Ryuu had taken good care of her. He helped her stretch every night and do what movement she could without reopening her wounds. Her new scars were already fading into her old scars. Soon a casual observer wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Ryuu loved her scars. They were physical reminders of the pain she had endured, and they gave him strength. Sometimes when they were lying together and Moriko was relaxed, he would run his fingers up and down her back, tracing each of them.

  He knew every scar was a painful memory, but her battles had made her who she was, the woman Ryuu loved. She had seen more pain than anyone Ryuu had met and had emerged from the flames stronger. He wondered sometimes in the blackness of night if he could show the same courage if it was ever demanded of him. He tried to probe every once in a while, but Moriko would tell him she hadn’t felt courageous. She had just survived.

  Ryuu wasn’t so sure. People gave up under less. Something in her had made her keep going, something stronger than a mere survival instinct. She had a spirit he admired, a hidden fierceness he loved.

  They walked slowly. Moriko was not yet at full strength, but they had to balance her recovery with their need for knowledge. She could fight if she had to. He would have liked to have waited, but he feared time was something they didn’t have much of. Every instinct in his body told him they were in danger. They had to move.

  Fortunately, the journey was not a hard one. Ryuu purchased a cheap horse in the nearby village. It wasn’t a stallion, but it helped them keep a better pace. After they came out of the woods, they transitioned into the rolling plains which led up to the mountain range and the Three Sisters. Ryuu had decided to take a direct route, avoiding any towns or cities. At this time of the season it was likely Akira would be with the armies in the pass. They’d be able to find him without problem.

  They were still two days away from the pass when Ryuu sensed a group of tremendous size. It felt like the entire city of New Haven had doubled and moved closer to the Three Sisters. They were confused until they encountered their first groups of scouts. Ryuu and Moriko were dressed in the clothes of peasants. Their swords were hidden on their backs and the soldiers passed by as though they weren’t even present.

  They paused as the soldiers rode off.

  “A group that size, Akira has to be moving almost all his armies,” Moriko said.

  Ryuu nodded his agreement.

  As they stood, they could sense the entire mass of humanity moving north. At this distance Ryuu couldn’t focus on individuals, but he could sense the whole. It was as if an earthworm several leagues long was crawling its way forward, contracting and expanding in sections. It felt chaotic at first, but in time Ryuu was able to sense the patterns in the movement. They were beautiful in their own way.

  “Do you think they’re retreating? Were they beaten in the Three Sisters?” Moriko’s voice held a hint of disbelief. Everyone knew the Southern Kingdom held the entire pass. To be retreating this far north, to have lost the entire pass in just a moon or two, was almost unthinkable. It had taken Akira’s father almost ten blood-soaked cycles to take the pass from the Azarians.

  Ryuu shook his head. “No, a retreat would never be this orderly, especially if they were routed so badly they lost the pass so early in the season.” He paused, thinking. “No, they are marching to war. Why they are heading north is beyond me.”

  He thought for a few moments more, but he couldn’t think of any believable reason why Akira would move so many troops. There were many possibilities, but each seemed less likely than the last.

  He looked over and saw Moriko looking seriously at the dust cloud gathering on the horizon. “I suppose we’ll just have to ask him.”

  It was a childish joy, but Ryuu couldn’t help but laugh at Akira’s face when he and Moriko walked into the lord’s tent. Akira had been studying a set of maps in utter concentration. Ryuu and Moriko had made a silent entrance, barely disturbing the tent flap. They had been there a few moments before he noticed them watching him. Akira startled, his hand coming to his sword, a shout on his lips. Then Ryuu saw the recognition on his face, and he let go of his sword.

  “I had increased security against this. Are they all right?”

  Ryuu laughed. He saw Moriko’s glare, but he e
njoyed the feeling of keeping Akira on his toes. It was one of the few exercises in power he allowed himself. Moriko thought it was foolish.

  “No, they are fine, doing their usual rounds.”

  “Then how did you get in?” Akira looked dubiously at them. Both of them were dressed as soldiers. “You didn’t hurt anyone else, did you?”

  “No, their path is just a bit too wide. The uniforms allowed us to get all the way to your perimeter, but there was a slight gap in their coverage. I don’t think anyone but a nightblade would see it.”

  Akira nodded. “Why are you here?”

  Ryuu’s mood turned serious. “We were attacked, a little over a half moon ago. There were two of them, stronger than anyone I’ve ever faced before. They almost succeeded.”

  Akira understood the unspoken accusation. There was a hint of fear in his eyes as he took a slight step back, his hand returning to his sword. Ryuu narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

  “I didn’t send anyone after you. It’s been over two cycles and I’ve kept my word. I haven’t even tried to find you with messengers or couriers. I don’t even know if you’re still living in the Southern Kingdom.”

  Ryuu and Moriko exchanged glances. Ryuu was waiting for her opinion. He trusted Akira and hadn’t believed it was him in the first place. But Moriko would have her own thoughts. She stared intently at Akira, allowing the weight of the silence to grow in the tent. Ryuu knew she would be probing him with the sense, trying to detect some hint of deception. Akira held his voice. Ryuu respected him for that. The lord said his piece and was done. Few people could muster that type of courage in front of a nightblade, much less two.