by Bryce Allen
Sagura and Kenji spurred their horses down the long, sloping hill that lead to Tenno. Kenji barely remembered the person he had been when he first admired the view of the city, so full of hope. Now he had only determination and a single purpose.
Kenji studied the city below him. It was unsettling how quiet it was. Considering what was taking place in the city, he expected it to be chaotic or sinister looking, but the city was unchanged. Warm flickers of light illuminated most windows, and all seemed normal. The night was young, and families were settling in.
“What do the people know?” Kenji asked.
“Much the same as when you left. They believe the emperor was assassinated. They believe that Hiroshi brought justice to the land. However, they don’t know that Taijin plans to abdicate. The people believe that Hiroshi is simply finishing the Tenno Tournament to honor Taishi.”
Kenji suppressed his anger. Knowing what people believe and actually hearing it were very different things.
“There is one other thing: I haven’t been able to confirm this, but one of my contacts in the emperor’s personal guard said that once Hiroshi takes control, he is going to publicly execute Kaito.”
Images of the ghostly old man surfaced in Kenji’s mind. At first, Kenji was indifferent. Kaito should have been killed a long time ago. But the more Kenji considered it, the more conflicted he became. They rode for several minutes before Kenji’s mind was clear. “That is unfortunate.”
Sagura didn’t respond, and Kenji didn’t look back to see his face. If he had to guess, Sagura was nodding thoughtfully. If they were successful, Hiroshi wouldn’t have the opportunity to execute Kaito anyway.
“Put this on.” Sagura tossed a tightly wrapped sack of cloth to Kenji. “I don’t know what will happen if we are seen, but I don’t want to find out.”
Still riding, Kenji swung a cloak over his shoulders. It was plain and brown, with a few colorful patches that held it together. It covered him well, and the hood made him unrecognizable. The irony was palpable. Kenji remembered that at about the same spot in the road he was given the Gawan champion’s cloak.
Kenji rolled his shoulders and shook the memories off. He was still upset from the loss of the sword. He needed to think clearly. Much like a blade, he now served a single purpose.
Kenji mused on the possibilities of the night before him. He was confident they would reach the palace by midnight, but there were hurdles in his way. Kenji hated the planning and the sneaking. Ebusu’s note lit a fire inside of him, and he needed to let it rage.
Kenji wanted to storm into the city and fight everyone in his way until Hiroshi showed himself. He pictured the glorious scene in his head. The streets would be filled with people watching Hiroshi’s final moments.
Eventually, the musing met its end and Kenji could wonder no more.
“Sagura, what is the plan? Have you arranged a meeting with Taijin?” Kenji asked as the entered the outskirts of the city.
Sagura barked a short laugh. “Meeting? No. You are scaling the walls and climbing in his window.”
Kenji jerked his head towards Sagura to see if he was joking. Sagura was amused, but serious. Kenji shrugged. This entire time Kenji had thought that he would engage Taijin at some sort of secret meeting. He would plead his case and be granted the second Zettai.
“Taijin hasn’t left the palace since Ebusu’s execution. Hiroshi is acting on his behalf for now.”
Kenji nodded, finally understanding. Hiroshi had planned this for months, probably years. Not only did he manipulate the tournament, but the entire power structure of the empire.
Sadness and guilt swelled in Kenji. He imagined Taijin, curled up on the floor of his room. He would be frightened and confused. The loss and betrayal he must feel would be powerful. He was alone.
Adrenaline filled Kenji’s body as a new thought crossed his mind.
Taijin was probably furious, and Kenji would be the only one left for him to direct his rage at.
Lost in thought, Kenji didn’t realize they’d passed through the first gate. The roads were busy but quiet. People were flooding in to witness the drama of the Tenno Tournament’s last day. The empire had never seen anything quite like this.
The city thickened around them. The streets turned from gravel to brick. Kenji and Sagura blended in well with the evening crowd arriving in the capital, finding inns or family members. No one suspected anything of them.
From within the city, Kenji could detect hints of change. Guards were everywhere. Nearly every street corner had a pair of military men, spears held tightly to their side. The guards were armored to the teeth, plates of decorated metal covering their chest and arms.
After a while, they reached the gate to the walled portion of the city. They stopped far enough back so they couldn’t be seen and tied their horses off, then came around an alley that allowed them to study the wall.
“Five guards at the gate. Probably more. The gate is barred shut with iron.” Sagura craned his neck and watched the walkway atop the wall for a few moments.
“Every guard post is filled up there, but they aren’t doing patrols,” Sagura said.
“How far apart are the posts?” Kenji asked.
“Thirty feet, twenty-five maybe?”
Kenji swallowed. That was a narrow window. The guard posts that Sagura was referring to were small stone towers along the wall. They were built into the wall, and had a single window looking out at the city. There were no doors, simply open air and a pathway to the next guard post.
All a guard would have to do was look left or right to see Kenji crossing over the wall. The wall itself was rough enough to climb, but it was tall. It would take a significant amount of time to scale. And a single mistake would be deadly.
Kenji took a second to lean over and study the wall. Sagura wasn’t exaggerating. When they last arrived in Tenno there were maybe five guards patrolling it. Now there was at least thirty.
Kenji soaked in the view. His eyes followed several paths he could take. The torchlight cast heavy shadows on parts of the stone. If he could follow the shadows he would minimize his risk on the wall. That wouldn’t help him when he crossed the top, though.
Finally, he had an idea. Instead of avoiding the soldiers, he needed to get close to one. He traced a path that led directly to a watchtower. It would be hard, and it would add a few precious feet to his climb. But it was his best chance of not being seen.
He could crawl up the side of the watchtower, narrowly fitting between the lookout and the entrance. His heart raced at the thought, but the more he considered it, the more realistic it became. He pulled Sagura back to the shadow and described his plan.
“You think you can make that?”
Kenji shrugged. “It is the best option.”
Sagura peered around the corner one last time.
“You will have to go alone.”
Kenji hadn’t considered that part. Sagura was many things. He had military experience. He had political expertise. But this climb would be based on athletic ability alone. Kenji could sense the guilt in Sagura’s tone. Kenji didn’t know how to respond, so he let Sagura fill the silence.
“Make your way to the palace. At the end of the west wing, on the third floor, there will be two windows. Both lead to Taijin’s”—Sagura corrected himself—“to the emperor’s room.”
Kenji nodded, mentally absorbing everything Sagura said.
“I don’t need to tell you that it will be well guarded. There is no room for error.”
“I know.”
Sagura pointed down the road. “At the next corner there is an inn. I will be waiting for you there. Good luck, Kenji.”
Sagura pulled the knots that held his sword in place and pulled the sheath from his belt. He gripped the sword for a moment, bidding his blade a silent farewell. Once satisfied, he handed it over.
Kenji smiled and bowed low to Sagura. Sagura returned the bow. They strapped the blade to Kenji’s back, freeing his arms and legs
to climb.
After that, there were no more words to share, there was only action. Kenji looked out around the corner one last time. Nothing changed. There were no patrols on the ground, and the guard towers were still filled.
Kenji sprinted across the street that surrounded the walled part of the city. No permanent buildings were allowed on the wall, but several tents lined it. They were quiet now, but during the day they would be filled with merchants selling their wares.
Kenji caught his breath in the cover of an abandoned tent. He wasn’t tired, but he was so nervous his breath was irregular. At the back of the tent, Kenji tested his grip on the wall.
Once he knew he could grip the rugged stone surface, he climbed.
The cover of the tent below quickly became a memory. He was exposed on the wall. The shadows he had seen from below were not nearly deep enough to conceal his entire climb. He found holds easily, but no matter how quickly he moved, he felt exposed and clumsy.
His back muscles tensed with exertion. It felt good to work them so hard. It reminded Kenji how long it had been since he had trained.
Kenji didn’t stop until he was inches below the guard tower. The wind whipped over him, enhanced by his elevation. He pressed his body against the stone, letting the wind roll over him. The stone dug at his skin, but it was a welcome pain if it kept him on the wall.
Kenji was now well above most buildings surrounding the wall. There was no doubt in his mind that a fall would be fatal. A small part of him wondered if Sagura was still watching him. The rest of him knew it didn’t matter, but it was easy to feel alone while clinging to a wall high above the ground.
Kenji squirmed his way to the narrow strip of stone between the windows of the lookout. They were open air, and he could hear the guard inside. Kenji controlled his breathing and tensed his body. His arms were on fire, but any mistake at this point and his body would swing into the guard’s view.
Kenji was thankful for the constant breeze that rolled over them. It masked the few noises he created as he pulled himself up. Against all of his natural instincts, he let his legs dangle below him. In a final burst of effort, he pulled himself onto the stone roof of the guard tower.
He rolled onto his back and laid flat. There was just enough of a ledge on the tower that he was completely concealed from anyone below. The guard seemed to be acting normally. He hadn’t moved or sounded an alarm, and Kenji relished the small victory.
Kenji rested there for a while. Once the feeling returned to his hands Kenji started down the other side of the wall. The inside of the wall was not as well lit, and not all of the guard towers even had windows facing inward. Kenji was able to take his time and choose his path carefully.
Kenji finished scaling the back side of the great wall, but his feet felt awkward on the ground. He knew the climbing wasn’t over. He found a dark corner and studied the main road while letting his muscles recover.
The cherry blossoms were mostly fallen. The street was coated in petals like snow. When the wind kicked up, waves of fallen petals would swirl into the air. The trees looked strange without them, but Kenji pushed the musing to the back of his mind.
There were several patrols on the main road. Groups of three or four soldiers marched up and down the road leading to the palace. It would be impossible to reach that way.
Kenji assumed there would be alleys in the walled portion of the city, but he’d never seen them. Kenji worked his way along the wall until he found one. It was just as dark as any other alley in the city. Kenji wasn’t sure where exactly it led, but it ran parallel with the cherry blossom street, so he took it.
He only had to stop twice. Pairs of guards patrolled the alleys too, but not with great effectiveness. Kenji heard them before he saw them. There was always trash or a crate to hide behind until they passed.
He emerged from the alley toward the corner of the palace. The structure was surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn. Kenji darted over it as quickly as he could. Most of the guards seemed to be stationed at the entrance.
Kenji grinned to himself as he reached the palace wall. It wasn’t so hard to be a Shadow. He tucked himself into a dark corner and waited. There had to be some kind of perimeter patrol.
Sure enough, two lines of guards marched in perfect unison. Their unnatural steps could be heard long before they rounded the corner. They weren’t even looking around, they just marched around the palace.
Kenji got the impression that Hiroshi wasn’t actually worried about anyone coming into the palace. There were plenty of guards, sure, but none of them seemed concerned. They were all for show. Each one was dressed in the finest armor the empire had to offer, and even in the midnight hour, their uniforms were perfect.
Perhaps the Zettai was powerful enough that Hiroshi didn’t fear anyone. Or perhaps Hiroshi believed that all the threats were neutralized. Either way, it was an opportunity for Kenji.
Kenji worked his way around the palace. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he trusted Sagura’s description. He hoped he’d know it when he saw it.
In the comfort of a deep shadow, Kenji took a moment to imagine the feel of the second Zettai. Would he move faster than Taishi had? The emperor had been an old man, and nothing he did was impossible. In the hands of a more-skilled warrior, what could be accomplished?
Kenji rounded the corner and Taijin’s room appeared before his eyes. It was just as Sagura described. There was even a candle flickering in the window, welcoming Kenji in. After a quick scan for patrols, Kenji started his climb.
His muscles were still warm from the wall, but the bricks were smaller and the handholds more elusive. Sweat poured from his brow and trickled down his back. He reached the window and slid it open.
He froze. The weight of what he was about to do struck him. His stomach churned with shame. He was about to ask for Taijin’s last link to his father. If their roles were reversed, would Kenji relinquish the sword?
Kenji cleared his mind. The words would come when he needed them. With a final push, Kenji rolled into the window and crouched on the wooden floor. It wasn’t a graceful landing. The sword strapped to his back limited his movement.
Kenji stood, his body tense. He took everything in. The room reminded him of Taishi’s. The rice-paper doors were behind him, decorated with reeds and a crane. The candlelight made the painted animal come alive, seeming to sway with the breeze.
There were only two pieces of furniture in the room. On the far end was a sleeping roll. It was empty. Clothes and papers were strewn about the floor, giving the room a look of chaos.
Beside the bed roll was a sword stand. It was empty.
The room appeared empty.
Kenji only needed to take one step to realize his mistake. The slow ring of steel being drawn from a sheath hissed behind him. Kenji stopped all movement and held his hands away from his body.
“Why are you here?”
The voice was young and frightened but demanding of an answer.
“I’m here for your father’s sword, Taijin,” Kenji said.
“Your master betrayed my father. Now you dishonor his memory asking for his blade.”
Every word Taijin spoke trembled with anger. Kenji heard the young emperor spit in disgust.
“That isn’t what happened.” Kenji turned around, keeping his hands in plain sight. “Your uncle, Hiroshi, killed your father.”
Taijin narrowed his eyes and raised the sword. The boy had good form. The point was leveled perfectly at Kenji’s throat, hovering inches away.
“Lies.”
“Ebusu loved your father. He would never betray him.”
Taijin hesitated to speak, but his sword was resolute. Kenji could see thoughts and doubts raging behind Taijin’s eyes. It was as if Kenji was reinforcing what Taijin already knew.
Taijin’s lip broke into a quiver, “Why would Hiroshi do that?”
Kenji lowered his hands, but Taijin brandished the sword at him. The boy had his doubts, but h
e was no fool.
“I know your father taught you well. Use your logic. Hiroshi lost his entire family in the war. When Hiroshi was denied his revenge, his anger mounted. He is trying to right the wrongs of his past. When Jin died, Hiroshi saw an opportunity. He believed Taishi was weakening the empire.”
Taijin’s eyes searched the ground at his feet, looking for something within. The sword lowered a little. Kenji made no move. Taijin looked up, but now his eyes were filled with tears.
“But now I’m alone,” Taijin said in a strained voice, choking back the sobs. “Hiroshi wouldn’t do that.”
Kenji paused for a moment. He had nothing to offer the young emperor. He had no proof or consolation. Taijin’s eyes watered, flickering with confusion and pain. They begged Kenji for an answer.
Kenji had one thing to offer, though.
“If you believe Hiroshi is innocent in this, strike me down.”
Kenji took a knee and lowered his head, exposing the back of his neck.
“You are my rightful emperor. I will always serve you. If you truly believe Ebusu killed your father, then I am just as guilty. You may take my life without shame, for the empire.”
The room was silent. Kenji’s words hung in the air between them. Kenji closed his eyes tight. He believed in Taijin, and he believed in the empire. It was broken, but it was worth fighting for. It was worth dying for.
Taijin shifted his weight, making the floor creak beneath his feet. Kenji didn’t look up. He heard the soft, almost inaudible sound of clothing shifting. Was Taijin lifting his sword?
Taijin sunk to his knees, the heavy thud breaking Kenji’s concentration. The sword fell to Taijin’s side. His face fell into his hands and he sobbed. He started to sink forward, but Kenji caught him. He let Taijin’s weight lean on his chest and he let the new emperor mourn.
For a few moments, Kenji let himself forget about Ebusu and his father. He forgot about the second Zettai. He let go of his anger for Hiroshi. He held Taijin, comforting him through a loss he understood well.
Taijin’s tears ended, and he pulled away from Kenji. He wiped away as many of the tears as he could, but it was a lost cause. Instead, he sat beside Kenji, hiding his face.
